Charlie Bass
by Kinky-bootz88
Summary: Chuck returns to see Blair after eight years and there is somebody waiting for him


_A/N: I haven't written anything in years because my life got a bit hectic and now I finally had some free time on my hands so this is what happened. This is a one shot so please go easy on me, I am a bit rusty. I was watching old clips of Gossip Girl on youtube and this story popped into my head. Please r/r_

The flight to London felt like the longest flight Chuck had ever taken. The lady beside him tried to make conversation for a while but Chuck wanted to be left alone with his memories. He thought about her the whole flight. He thought about her while they were waiting to take off, while they were taxing down the runway, while they were mid air, while they were landing and every second in between. He thought about her while going through immigration, while he was waiting for his luggage, and in the taxi ride here. In fact, Chuck Bass had been thinking about Blair Waldorf constantly for the last three days and nights. He hadn't seen her in nearly eight years. She had just turned twenty the last time he set eyes on her. She was scared, and alone, and he was too selfish and too preoccupied to realise it was all his fault. He set his suitcase against the wall, and laid his coat over it. He was mentally preparing himself for what was coming next. He couldn't focus on the past right now, he had to get ready to face what he was about to see. He had to focus on what he had to do today.

Chuck took a deep breath and counted to ten. He wanted ten seconds to remember her how she was, he wanted to remember how he was when she was in his life. He wanted ten seconds before his world changed again. He knew he would never forget seeing her today and that wasn't a good thing. Chuck entered the hospital room and quietly shut the door behind him. He couldn't believe the sight before him. Her arms were as thin as matches, and her once radiant face was now pale and drawn. She was lost in a sea of wires. Her face still looked like it had when she was eighteen, except a lot thinner. Her breaths were shallow, but apart from that her body did not move. The skin on her arms clung to her bones like tissue paper. Her hair was swept into a side ponytail with a ribbon tied round it. Chuck walked closer to the bed. He expected her to sit up and tell him to get out any minute. They hadn't spoken in nearly eight years, and the last time they had spoken she had told Chuck she would never speak to him again. Now that she really wasn't going to speak to him again, he knew those words they had exchanged would haunt him for the rest of his life. He couldn't bring himself to think about their last conversation. He sat down on the chair beside the bed. He lifted his hand out to touch her arm and then changed his mind for fear he would hurt her. He glanced up at the television, Breakfast At Tiffany's was playing on the television. "We were supposed to have an ending like that."

Chuck sat down on the stiff leather seat beside the bed. He turned his focus back to Blair. He sighed silently. If only he had of known it was going to end this way he would have asked for her forgiveness a long time ago. He was never very good with words and now, that he only had a short time to speak to Blair, he couldn't find the words. Serena had heard from Eleanor a few days ago that Blair wasn't going to make it. Blair had worked in Paris since deciding college wasn't for her during her second year, well that's what she told everyone, and avoided any attempts from Serena and everyone else to visit. Their friendship had been reduced to twice a week Skype calls. Only Chuck and Blair knew the real reason why she left, and he was always glad of that. Blair never returned to New York after their fight. His drug dealer threatened Blair, and that was the last straw for Blair. She left Chuck, and left New York. Nobody knew where she was. Chuck tried to get in touch with Blair for a year but then it became clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Memories flashed through Chuck's mind, he thought about all the times they were together. The night she stole his shoes, the masquerade balls, and the quiet times they walked through the park together without anyone knowing, or watched movies in his hotel suite. He had replayed those memories a thousand times before, and yet now holding her hand they seemed so much fresher. It seemed like only yesterday they were walking through the park together having breakfast. He ran over conversations in his head. There were some he wondered if they actually happened or was he just wishing they had. He thought back to high school. They felt like they had all the time in the world, and now they had hours left.

The door opened and a nurse entered the room. She was taken aback by the sight on Chuck, "bonjour?"

Chuck looked up at her, "Hi"

"American? Oh sorry, Miss Wardolf only usually gets two visitors and they aren't due in until later. Are you a relative?"

"No, just an old…..somebody."

"Well it's good you came when you did."

Chuck just nodded his head, he couldn't take his eyes off Blair.

The nurse started to check Blair's pulse. She pretended that Chuck wasn't there as much as Chuck was pretending she wasn't there. He wanted to take everything about Blair in, he was noting everything that had changed and everything that he remained the same. The scar just below her hairline from when she split her head opened during her first week at college, and panicked about for months. The ribbon she wore in her hair like she had done in high school. The fact she always had the smallest hint of a smile on her face when her eyes were closed, although Chuck always wondered if he was imagining that. Her face had certainly changed. It was strange to see Blair without any make-up on. He only ever got to see her like that when she woke up in the morning. He never told her that. He wished now he had. He wished he had told her a lot of things. She once begged him to say three words to her, and now he could have said thousands and it was too late.

A blonde girl about the same age as Blair quietly slipped into the room. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a hoodie. Something Chuck could never imagine Blair wearing. In fact, she would have eaten any one of her friends for wearing that. Chuck realised he was judging people be Blair's standards, something he tried to get her not to do for years. He wondered would she have shouted at him, or simply said I told you so. That thought brought a smile across his face. The girl seemed to be so focused on Blair, Chuck wasn't even sure if she realised he was there. She fussed with some flowers before she looked at the nurse. "How is she doing?"

"Probably only hours to go. She fought really hard, but It really won't be long now." The nurse squeezed the girls arm, "she'll be ok Emily, she has you."

Emily wiped a tear from her eye and kissed Blair on the forehead, "I'm sorry, I had to get that out before she comes in. You were always the crier, and yet look at me." Emily looked up and noticed Chuck for the first time. She was taken aback. She wiped her face furiously twice before speaking. "Sorry, I know this sounds odd but I didn't even notice you. I think I am on auto-pilot, it's been a long few days. Did you know Blair well?"

"Yes, I knew her back in New York. We spent a lot of time together through high school and college. Well part of college. I haven't seen her in a long time."

"Blair never spoke much about New York. She once said she wasn't a citizen of New York anymore so why did it matter." Emily smiled sadly.

Chuck realised that maybe New York hadn't mattered to Blair anymore. Maybe she needed it not to matter. The last time Chuck saw her in New York he was high and there was a gun involved, so he thought that it what caused New York not to matter. To the world Chuck Bass had no regrets, to Chuck Bass his whole world had become a regret. As much as he tried not to think about that but it was seared into his mind. After everything that had happened with his father his life went into a tailspin. He stopped working, he stopped caring about everything. Of course he still cared about Blair but not in the way he should have. He needed to forgot when he happened. Chuck turned to alcohol and when that didn't work he turned to drugs. Blair tried to fix things, and his dealer pointed a gun at her. Blair fled from Chuck, fled from what happened and fled from New York. By the time Chuck was able to look for her, she was long gone. Chuck shook the memory from his head and returned to the present. Chuck watched as Emily fussed with Blair's hair, and fixed the blankets around her. She had clearly gone back to autopilot. Chuck turned his attention back to Blair. He wished he could reach out and touch Blair's hand. Emily ran her hand over Blair's cheek. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.

She turned and walked out the door. She re-entered again before Chuck could register she had left. When Chuck looked up towards her, there was a small girl standing beside her. Emily whispered something in her ear, and she climbed onto the bed and kissed Blair on the cheek. Chuck looked closely at the young girl, she was the image of Blair. She had Blair's eyes, her dark hair and flawless skin. He had no idea she had a child. He was never any good at guessing children's ages, she looked about five he thought. He tried to process the fact the Blair had a child, that was easier to think about then what was about to happen. He was watching Blair's daughter say goodbye to her.

"I know it's time Mom, I will be brave and take care of Emily like I promised." The young girl said "you can go and be my angel now."

The young girl returned to hold the dark haired woman's hand. The women smiled down at her, "shall we go and send some balloons up for your Mom when she gets there like we promised her?"

"Yes, Mom would love that."

Chuck watched for a second trying to figure out the life Blair has had in Paris. His head began to hurt with all the processing it was doing. He quickly glanced down at Blair and then back at the young girl. He got a flashback of Blair at that age and smiled knowing the world was still going to have part of that magic. "Wait," Chuck called out. The two girls stopped and looked at him. His mouth was so dry he didn't think he could speak. The girl was looking at his like he had two heads. He felt he should have let them go but he needed to hold on to what he could of Blair. He had let her go once, and having to do it again was too hard to think about. "I didn't know Blair had a child"

"Yes, this is Charlie, she is seven." Emily said, "go and introduce yourself to your Mom's friend."

The young girl walked over and extended her hand out to Chuck, "Charlie Bass, nice to meet you"


End file.
